The present invention relates to a dot code suitable for recording and/or reproducing so-called multimedia information including, e.g., audio information such as speech and music information, video information obtained by a camera, a video tape recorder, and the like, and digital code data obtained from a personal computer, a wordprocessor, and the like and an information recording/reproducing system for recording/reproducing the dot code and, more particularly, to recording and/or reproduction of the dot code, which can be optically read, on/from paper, various types of resin films, metal sheets, and the like.
As media for recording speech information, music information, and the like, a magnetic tape, an optical disk, and the like are known.
Even if, however, copies of these media are produced in large quantities, the unit cost of production is relatively high, and storage of such copies requires a large space.
In addition, when a medium on which speech information is recorded needs to be transferred to a person in a remote place, it takes much labor and time to mail or directly take the medium to the person.
Under the circumstances, attempts have been made to record speech information on a paper sheet in the form of image information which can be transmitted in facsimile and allows production of copies in large quantities. As disclosed in, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 60-244145, an apparatus for converting speech information into image information by converting some speech information into an optical code, and allowing it to be transmitted in facsimile has been proposed.
In the apparatus disclosed in the above official gazette, a sensor for reading speech information recorded as information which can be optically read is arranged in a facsimile apparatus so that speech can be reproduced in accordance with an output from the sensor. Therefore, speech information transmitted in facsimile, which can be optically read, can only be heard at a place where the facsimile apparatus is installed. That is, it is not assumed that a facsimile output sheet is taken to another place to reproduce sounds.
For this reason, if the recording capacity for speech information is set to be large, facsimile transmission/reception of information other than speech information may be adversely affected. In addition, if the contents of speech information recorded are difficult to be understood, the first part of the speech may be forgotten in the process of reproducing speech information in large quantities. Furthermore, the above apparatus can only transmit speech of a duration of only a few seconds because the recording capacity is limited by the recording density and a compression method. Therefore, a magnetic tape, an optical disk, or the like is indispensable for transmitting a large amount of speech information.
Since the reproducing apparatus itself is incorporated in a facsimile apparatus, it is troublesome to perform repetitive reproduction of speech information even during a short duration. Moreover, an inexpensive, large-capacity recording/reproducing system for all the so-called multimedia information, which includes not only audio information but also, e.g., video information obtained by a camera, a video tape recorder, and the like, digital code data obtained from a personal computer, a wordprocessor, and the like, has not yet been realized.